Eight Oroville-area elected offices can still be sought

OROVILLE &GT;&GT; For those who still want to run for a local office, the filing period has been extended for eight races in the Oroville area, including the Oroville City Council and Feather River Recreation and Park District board.

If an incumbent didn't file by 5 p.m. Friday, the deadline for newcomers to join the race was extended to Wednesday.

Other extended races include several school districts and a special district, according to the Butte County Office of Elections candidate list Friday night.

In the City Council race, three seats are up for election. Incumbent Jack Berry will run for re-election. Incumbent Barbara "Cheri" Bunker is leaving the council to run for mayor and incumbent Gordon Andoe qualified to run for a seat on the South Feather Water and Power Agency board. Other council candidates so far are newcomers Allen Dale Young, Will F. Pagarigan, Celia Hirschman, Mark Grover and Marlene Del Rosario.

Feather River Recreation and Park District has two seats open for four-year terms and one seat open for two years. Longtime directors Loren Gill and Jan Hill will not seek re-election. Don Noble, Virgle N. Gage and Scott "Kent" Fowler are the current candidates for Gill and Hill's seats. Noble's candidacy for a full term leaves his short-term seat open. As of Friday, Michael Hicks qualified for the spot. The race will be extended.

Among school district boards, extensions will apply to Butte County Board of Education, Trustee Area 2; Oroville Union High School District, Oroville City Elementary School District, Feather Falls Elementary School District and Manzanita Elementary School District.

Two seats are available on the county Board of Education. Incumbent Betty Vassar will not run for re-election, so the filing period was extended. Incumbent Mike Walsh will run, challenged so far by Howard M. Ferguson.

OUHSD has three seats up for election. Incumbents David Bruce and Martin Sudicky will run again, but incumbent Don Phillips won't run. So far, Sudicky and Bruce will be challenged by Nannette Walker, Bonnie King, Cameron Sweeney and Mark Collins.

Collins' seat on the board of Oroville City Elementary is one of two seats available. Incumbent Mary Ellen Garrahy didn't file and has apparently decided not to seek re-election. Also, recent appointee Rosalie Redaja-Pagarigan won't seek election for the short term she holds. No one has filed to run for the OCESD board.

Feather Falls Elementary School District has three full-term openings and one short-term seat that has been vacant.

Incumbents Kelly Swann and Terry L. Catt didn't seek re-election for their full-term seats. There is also a vacant full-term position open.

No one filed to run for the vacant two-year seat.

One special district race remains open for filing candidacy.

People can also still file to run for a seat on the South Feather Water and Power Agency board representing Division 1. Incumbent Jim Moll didn't seek re-election. Candidates for the seat so far are Ray Scales and Donald Hume III.

To submit papers for the Oroville City Council race, contact the deputy city clerk at 538-2535. File in person at Oroville City Hall, 1725 Montgomery Street.

For all other races, nominees must file in person at the County Elections Office, located at 25 County Center Road. For information call 538-7761.